


Walking on Sunshine

by Jibbly



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galra Keith (Voltron), Imprinting, Keith is a baby duck that follows Shiro around, M/M, Pre-Kerberos Mission, kids to s1, no romance stuff until they are older, spacedad, what is canon?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:08:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jibbly/pseuds/Jibbly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Walking up to them, he kneeled down and looked up to see the boy’s eyes on him again. Shiro hadn’t been able to see clearly in the dim light from his flashlight, but in the warmth and brightness of their house, he could see the color of the boy’s eyes. A deep purple that almost looked like a dark grey if it wasn’t in the light. Shiro had never seen eyes like that before. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>------------------<br/>or, Shiro finds keith when they're little</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whatever man

His dad told him not to go too far, so he tried not to wander too far from the mouth of the cave. The heat of the day was dropping along with the sun, and they were almost ready to leave.

He walked along the cracked ground, following uneven lines in the dirt aimlessly. His dad said that he had gotten some kind of reading out here. Some kind of electronic disturbance in the atmosphere and then nothing. A blip in the screen, bright as a flash, and gone as suddenly. They left their little outhouse, his dad deciding to bring Shiro along.

Shiro felt pride at his dad trusting him to accompany him in his research. He was already going to be a teenager and he had his sights set on the academy. He wanted to go out there. Looking up, the stars were already starting to peek through with the darkening sky. It was beautiful.

He walked a little further, keeping his dad’s voice in earshot. He put his hands in his pant pockets as the temperature in the tunnel he was currently walking started to get colder. Turning a corner, he noticed something on the ground, contrasting with the dry orange brown of the sand and dirt around him. He kneeled down and picked up one of the tiny pebbles that were littering the floor.

Bringing it closer to his face, he took out the small pocket flashlight he had as the light outside was fading. Shining the light on it, he saw that it was a pebble, not really. It looked more like some kind of crystal. The bright purple shining with the light of his flashlight.

Turning his flashlight to face the ground, the rest of the little crystals lit up the same way. He had never seen them before, and he was about to call his dad to see if this was what they were looking for when he heard something shift further in the tunnel. He froze and stared down the way, trying to decide what he should do. His flashlight too weak to show that much in the now dark area. The sun had probably already set.

Sure enough, he heard his dad start calling him from the enterance of the cave. “Shiro! Time to go.” His dad’s voice echoed throughout the cave, and Shiro was about to turn back when another shuffle sounded.

Furrowing his brow, his curiosity was killing him. He yelled back. “I’ll be right there. Just give me a sec.”

He started to take small steps further into the tunnel, switching his light from one wall to the other in order to see what was moving in here. The crystals were still splattered along the ground, gaining in amount the more he walked.

The noise of something shifting rang again, closer, and Shiro quickly pointed his light in that direction. There was a shadow that seemed to freeze when the light shown on it, and Shiro held his breath. He should have called his dad. There was something here. The thought of going back to get his dad was quickly dismissed, because whatever was there could run away. Steeling his nerves, he started to walk closer to the shadow.

It was nestled between two large boulders and hadn’t moved an inch. Still, Shiro felt like he should try and say something. So that it wouldn’t try to make a run for it.

“H-hey there.” He tried to make his tone as gentle as he could, hating how his voice cracked. “Um…” He shallowed, getting close enough to see that the black shadow was hair. “I…I’m not going to hurt you.” Side stepping the first large rock, Shiro almost dropped his flashlight as he finally saw what had been hidden between the boulders.

From in between messy black hair, he could see two big eyes staring up at him wide and scared. It was a kid.

“What…” Shiro looks around, but keeps the light on the little boy. Trying to see if he can find something to explain why the boy was here. The only thing his light met was the glow of the small crystals along the floor.

There’s the sound of sniffling, and Shiro snaps his attention down to the little boy. He starts to panic at the signs that the other is going to start crying. Kneeling down, he places his flashlight on the ground to keep them in the light and raises his hands in a surrender gesture. “Hey, it’s okay. Um, can you tell me your name? Do you know where your parents are? What are their names?”

The pieces of cloth on the small frame could hardly be considered clothes, and the little boy shook his head. Bringing his knees close to him, and small hands coming up to rub at the tears streaming down his face. “I want to go home.” Voice cracked and sobbing.

Shiro really wished he had called his dad. Freaking out a little, he tried to put on a smile. Heart racing and throat feeling like he hadn’t drunk water in a year, he was so nervous. “It’s okay.” Lifting his hand to his chest, he gestured to himself. “My name is Takashi, but you can call me Shiro. Everyone calls me Shiro. “He gave him a nervous smile. “It’s okay. Um…I’ll help you, me and my dad, but you got to tell me your name at least.”

The boy lifted his head, but was still crying. “I don’t. I don’t know. I was… I can’t remember.”

Shiro felt his chest constrict painfully at the absolutely terrified expression on the other’s face. “You don’t remember your name?”

“Shiro, it’s time to go” His dad’s voice rang out from down the cave and the little boy visibly froze.

He tried to put on a reassuring face at the other’s fear. “That’s my dad. He’s…We’re gonna help you okay?”

The boy just looked up at him, but made no other move. Figuring that that was as good as a reaction as he was going to get, Shiro yelled back to his dad. “Dad! I…” Shiro looks down at the boy, seeing the way those eyes were flickering over his face. “I found someone!”

\----

They parked the jeep and walked inside the house quickly, Dad carrying the boy in his arms with a blanket tucked around him. Shiro closed the door to the house, as his dad sat the boy down on the couch. His head was down, and he hadn’t said a word since he had seen Dad but kept on sneaking glances at Shiro.

Dad kneeled in front of the boy, warmest smile he could muster but the boy only wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?” His dad’s voice was gentle and calm where Shiro’s had been shaking and nervous.

The little boy made a face and started to open his mouth to say something, but looked back at Shiro and closed it again.

Dad looked between the boy and Shiro and motioned for Shiro to kneel down beside him.

Walking up to them, he kneeled down and looked up to see the boy’s eyes on him again. Shiro hadn’t been able to see clearly in the dim light from his flashlight, but in the warmth and brightness of their house, he could see the color of the boy’s eyes. A deep purple that almost looked like a dark grey if it wasn’t in the light. Shiro had never seen eyes like that before.

His dad nudged him, and he looked away to look at his dad confused. The older man made a gesture towards the boy and Shiro got an idea on what he was being asked to do.

Turning back to the boy, he tried to will his nervousness away. “Do you want to eat something?”

The boy stared at him, same pinched expression from when his dad had asked him if he was hungry, and after a few seconds, Shiro felt like he wasn’t going to get an answer either. He was surprised when that tiny voice filled the room they were in. “I’m hungry.”

Shiro stared at his dad, feeling accomplished at having gotten the boy to speak. His dad gave the boy another smile. “And what would you like? We don’t have a lot, but we’ll try and make you whatever we can.”

Shiro saw how the boy looked at his dad, and then went back at looking at Shiro. “…Something warm….”

Nodding, Dad got up slowly to not startle the boy and headed towards the kitchen. “You got it. Maybe some light soup?” Turning into the kitchen, Shiro saw his dad give him a look that said to look after the other while he was in the kitchen.

Looking back, those purple eyes were staring at him. Shiro coughed softly to try and dispense the awkwardness in the room. The legs that were hanging off the couch were trembling slightly and Shiro saw how the blanket that they had given the other was wrapped tightly around his shoulders. It was warm in their outhouse, but who knows how long the kid had been out in those caves. The clothes the other had on couldn’t have helped kept him warm at all.

He thought about calling his dad back into the room, but thought against it since the boy closed off when he was around.

“Do you want to take a bath?” Shiro asked.

The boy just kept on staring at him like he didn’t understand what he was saying.

“Like….” Shiro had never thought he would have to explain what a bath was, but here he was. “To wash yourself and warm up a bit. Though, we probably don’t have any clothes that will fit you, but anything I better than what you’ve got to be honest.” Shiro sat down on the floor, feeling out of his depth at the continued blank stare.

There was some clanging in the kitchen, sounding like a pot being put in the sink when the boy spoke up. Small voice making Shiro look up at him.

“I want to be warm.” The boy clutched onto the blanket more, and Shiro nodded. There were footsteps in the hall and Dad was coming into the room again. Warm bowl in his hands along with a glass of water. He placed them both on the little coffee table that was in the middle of the room and rubbed the back of his neck.

“All we have is the canned stuff, right now. But it should do the trick.” Looking at the boy who had retreated back into the blanket, he smiled. “You like chicken soup?”

He didn’t answer, but they saw how he was eyeing the bowl, and there was a subtle growling noise that they knew was coming from his stomach.

His dad looked down at Shiro and motioned for him to follow him into the hallway. Shiro rose to his feet, and the boy quickly looked up. Wide eyes racing across the both of them, but staying on Shiro. They both froze at the panic in the other, but dad was the one to break it. Putting an easy hand on Shiro’s shoulder and smiling at the boy. “It’s okay. He’ll be right back. I just need to talk to him for a sec.”

The boy was still scared, but he at least seemed to understand what Dad was saying.

Shiro followed his dad into the hall way, feeling like a rock was in the pit of his stomach.

“He is attached to you.” His dad said quietly, sneaking a quick glance into the living room.

Shiro nods. “Yeah, but why? I mean…. I just.” Looking up at his dad, he let his confusion show plainly on his face. “What was he doing out there, dad?”

Shaking his head, Mr. Shirogane sighed and rubbed at his temples. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. We found him, so we have to take care of him the best we can. We’ll contact the authorities in the morning. See if there’s been any missing children that have been reported lately that he matches.”

“This would be a lot easier if he talked a little more, though. “

Shiro thought back to before his dad had come into the room with the food. “He wants to take a bath.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. Poor kid’s freezing. Even though he’s inside; it’s probably set real deep in his bones. We don’t know how long he was in those caves.”

Leaning his back against the wall, Dad crossed his arms. “Though, I wouldn’t trust him to take himself a shower. His legs are wobbly as hell, and he’s weak. He’ll more than likely faint.”

Shiro thought on those eyes and how they stared at him trustingly. “I’ll help him with a bath, since he can sit down. But what about clothes?”

His dad smiled. “Still got some of your old clothes, though it’ll still be pretty big on him. Better than nothing, I suppose.”

They talked a little bit more, and then walked back into the room. The bowl and glass of water still sat on the coffee table, untouched, and the boy’s eyes automatically found Shiro’s.

\----

They made sure he ate a little and drank the glass of water, before Shiro started to lead him towards the bathroom. It was small, since it was only him and his dad, but it had a tub.

He motioned for the other to sit on the toilet seat while he leaned over the rim of the tub to mess with the faucets. Testing out the temperature, he made sure it was warm enough without being scalding. Shiro plugged up the tub, and then turned back to the other. Noticing how he wasn’t on the toilet seat anymore, but was standing in front of the sink, staring at the mirror. Little hand untangling from the blanket and touching his face.

Shiro watched him for a second, before he coughed gently. “Um…So I’m going to take you a bath, okay?”

The boy looked away from the mirror and stared at where the water was filling the tub, and then back to Shiro.

He seemed to understand what bath meant, because he let go of the blanket and set it on the sink, stepping closer to Shiro and waiting.

Shiro quickly undressed the other, making sure not to look anywhere, and then stopping the water halfway. He stood up to help the boy get into the tub and then sat on the toilet seat as the boy let himself sink into the warm water.

He seemed to relax and gave Shiro a grateful look.

Shiro pointed to the little shelf on the side of the tub and saying water each bottle was out loud. “Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There’s a bar of soap too, if you like bars better.”

That same confused look crossed the boy’s face again, and Shiro internally sighed. He turned around to open up the cabinet under the sink and get out a large plastic cup. The boy looked at Shiro curiously as he dipped the cup into the warm and held it next to his head. “I’m gonna wash your hair, okay?”

There was still confusion, but at least the other nodded.

Shiro used one of his hands to shield the boy’s eyes and the other to pour the water onto his hair. He began washing his hair, trying to get out as many tangles and knots as he could. He rinsed him and then went back into the cabinet to fetch out a clean towel. He opened it up and wrapped it around the boy as he helped him out of the tub.

Little feet landed on the soft carpet of his room, as he went to the bed where his dad had left clothes that looked a couple of years old.

He helped put on the t-shirt and pajama pants, using the towel to rub and dry at the now soft black hair.

He was sitting on the bed, while the boy was standing, letting the towel gently dry his hair, when he heard him speak again. “Keith….”

Shiro stopped his toweling and stared at the other. “What?”

The towel fell to the boy’s shoulders and those deep purple eyes were staring at him. “My name is Keith.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah, i had almost abandoned this fic, because of everything that was revealed n s2, but whatever  
> I'll just do this how i want and it'll hopefully turn out alright

Shiro looked at those eyes and how they were staring at him like he was trusting him with something important. “Keith…?”

The small head nodded, still wet black hair moving slightly with the movement.

Shooting a look to the door, Shiro shifted on the bed. Keith. He had told him his name. “Okay, Keith. Can you tell me how old you are?” Shiro asked, trying to see if he could get some more answers out of the little boy. He had a feeling that the other was being honest now that his dad wasn’t in the same room.

Keith frowned and looked down at his hands. His fingers moving and flexing, before he lifted up two hands at Shiro. His slim fingers in the air between them. “I’m six.”

Shiro smiled, excited that it looked like Keith was willing to open up a little more. “That’s cool. I’m nine years old.”  He saw as Keith looked back down at his fingers. Shiro realized that he was counting them.

“you’re three years older than me.” Keith says quietly and looks back up at Shiro as if asking if he’s right. Shiro nods to him, and lets the towel fall around his shoulders. He leans a little in, lowering his voice.

“Do you know how you got in that cave, Keith?” Keith frowns and looks down at his feet.

“I don’t remember.” It’s said softly, and Shiro has a feeling that that might actually be true. That’s okay, though. Tomorrow they’ll go out again to see if they can find anything. It was too dark now, and his dad would ask about any missing children reports also.

He sighs and rubs at his arm. He feels really tired. It’s dark outside; he can see from the window to his room. He looks at Keith. The little boy still frowning down at his feet.

“Are you tired? Want to go to sleep?” Shiro asks and sees how Keith looks at him an then on the bed that he’s sitting on.

Shiro lifts an eyebrow and stands up off the bed, and points to the bed. “You can sleep here if you want. I’ll sleep in the living room, or something. “Shiro sees how Keith is still looking at the bed, almost as if he doesn’t really know what it is. Never the less, the boy climbs on top of it. Sitting where Shiro had been. His short legs dangling off the edge, and he looks up at Shiro.

Shiro walks to the door and raises his hand up to the light switch. “Just…Lay down and go to sleep if you want?”

\---

Shiro had slept on the couch, his dad saying that they’d go back to the caves in the morning to get a better look at where they had found Keith. Shiro telling him the little boy’s name, before he went to sleep.

When morning came, the sunlight hit Shiro straight in the eye from the windows, the sheer curtains doing almost nothing against the brightness. He groaned and rubbed at his eyes, spots of light dancing behind his eyelids as he lifted himself up.

He heard some noises from the kitchen and undid the thro blanket from his legs, so he got off the couch. He cracked his back and yawned as he turned the corner and saw his dad messing with the stove, a carton of eggs beside him and a pot of coffee brewing in the machine.

He turned around and smiled at his son. “Morning sleepy head.”

Shiro groaned again and nodded a good morning to his dad, he’s about to walk to the table to sit down on one of the chairs when his dad speaks again.

“Want to go see if our guest is up?” His back is still to him as he speaks to his son.

Shiro had almost forgotten about Keith. His mind still foggy with just waking up, but he starts walking towards the bedroom. The door is still slightly open how he had left it, and when he pushes it open the rest of the way, he sees Keith. Lying on the bed, on top of the covers and staring at the ceiling.

His eyes are open and snap to him when he walks into the room and flicks on the switch.

Shiro is a little unnerved to say the least. Creeped out to say the most.

“Morning…. Did,” Shiro looks at the other’s stiff posture. “Did you sleep?”

Keith doesn’t give him an answer, instead he just pushes himself up from the bed and sits up at the edge of the bed just like he had done the night before. He is looking at Shiro with that same unbroken look of concentration and Shiro is having a hard time keeping eye contact with the other.

“Dad’s making eggs for breakfast. Are you hungry?” He asks and sees how there’s a slicker of understanding that flashes across Keith’s face.

“Eggs?”

Shiro nods. “Yeah.”

There’s a minute of silence, before Keith speaks again. “What…. are those?”

Shiro stares at the other and fells like he just wants to go back to sleep. How the hell is he supposed to explain what eggs are?

“You know…” He starts pinching his fingers and making gestures with his hands. “Eggs.”

Keith keeps on giving him a blank look. “Eggs are food?”

Shiro sighs and nods. what the hell is up with this kid. “Yes, it’s breakfast. So, if you want some, you should come to the kitchen and get some.”

Keith seems to be seriously considering the thought of this unknown eggs and weather he wants to actually eat them. And Shiro is just so exhausted already? The sun isn’t even fully up in the sky and he wants to just crawl back on the couch, or better yet. Kick Keith out of his room so he can sleep in it.

\---

Breakfast is only as half as awkward as it was in the bedroom.

Keith keeping his mouth shut around Dad and giving the eggs a worried look, before he stuck his fork into them and brought it up to his mouth. Carefully looking towards Shiro to see how he was eating them.

After that first bite, Keith started to shovel the food into his mouth.

Shiro’s dad smiling at the boy, happy that he was eating and took everyone’s plate to wash them in the sink when they were done.

“Okay” He said when he finished cleaning up the kitchen. “We’re going to go back to see if we can find anything that might help us find out where you came from and hopefully where your parents are.”

Keith didn’t say anything, but when it was time to load onto the truck, he sat in the back seat with the blanket they had covered him with the night before.

The way back to the caves went by quick enough and then they parked the Jeep in the same spot they had been n yesterday. Shiro’s dad turning around and giving Keith a smile. “you can stay in here if you want.”

Shiro looked back at Keith and saw the way his eyebrows had furrowed. “Do you want to stay here?” He asked and saw the way Keith looked at him.

“No. I want to stay with you.” Keith said to Shiro and Shiro’s dad’s eyebrows shot up. The older Shirogane not used to hearing Keith talk yet, and glad that Keith had said anything at all.

“Okay, then. Let’s get off and look. If we don’t find anything, we’ll leave in three hours and contact the authorities. Hopefully they’ll be able to help you.”

Keith had that same look on his face like when Shiro had told him about eggs, and Shiro got the feeling that Keith didn’t understand what his dad was talking about.

The three of them got out of the Jeep and went down the path Shiro had taken the night before where he had found Keith. The small purplish gems were still on the ground, but they didn’t seem to shine as brightly in the daylight. If anything, they looked dulled.

Keith was only a couple of steps behind him and the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He would look down at some of the larger bunches of gems and frown.

The path down the cave was long, but they eventually came to a dead end. Not even the little gems this deep inside. Shiro’s dad sighed and asked Keith if he remembered anything that could help them, to which Keith shook his head and muttered a quiet “No.”

At least Keith was starting to talk more to his dad.

They made their way back through the path, they still had two more hours, so they could explore more of the caves for clues. They were about halfway through the cave, when Shiro’s flashlight hit something that reflected against the wall.

“What’s that?” Shiro asked and squinted when the reflection hit him across the eyes.

Mr. Shirogane started to walk towards when Shiro’s flashlight was shining and kneeled down to start moving some debris and rocks around. There was a scraping sound and then he stood up. Shiro saw that his dad had a knife in his hand, and then Keith walked to his dad.

Mr. Shirogane turned the blade around in the light of the flashlights, but stopped when he saw Keith step in front of him. The little boy’s eyes wide and staring at the knife in his hands.

He shot a look to Shiro who shrugged his shoulders.

Kneeling so that he was eye level with Keith, he lifted the knife so that the little boy could get a better look at it.

“Do you recognize this, Keith?”

Keith nodded.

“Do you know who’s this is? Who this belongs to?”

Keith frowned and looked like he was thinking really hard. “I……”

He kept on string at the knife, but after a while he shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

Shiro saw as his dad nodded and then stood back up. He tucked the knife into one of the loops of his jeans and then sighed. “Well, let’s just keep looking. Maybe we’ll find some more stuff.”

They started walking down the path again, but Keith kept on staring at the knife that was tucked against his dad. That same look of concentration on that small face.

**Author's Note:**

> lol what is canon?   
> Tumblr @jibblyuniverse  
> Twitter @Jibblyuniverse4  
> leave comments and kudos bc i honestly don't know with this fic


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